There should be a secretary at Ystrad to correspond with all the churches in the Rhondda Valley. The whole of the Principality should be divided into districts on the above plan, with a secretary and treasurer in each. All local secretaries should be in correspondence with the county secretary or secretaries. All the churches in a given district should make their annual collections on the same Sabbath, and on the following Monday evening all the ministers of the district should hold a grand public meeting, such as we held at Aberdare last night, which turned out to be a most delightful success. A multiplication of good earnest secretaries, with faithful treasurers to help them in their work, and closer and better organisation in this matter, would bring in quite double the amount that is collected for the Society at present. The deplorable state of the heathen world ought to move us to more activity-much more activity-in our efforts to sustain our Missionary Society. "It is stated in the history of England," says Dr. Philip, in an address delivered at one of the London Anniversaries, "that when the first missionary who arrived in Kent presented himself before the King, to solicit permission to preach the Gospel in his dominions, after long deliberations, when a negative was about to be put upon his application, an aged counsellor, with his head silvered over with gray hairs, rose, and by the following speech, obtained the permission which was requested :- Here we are,' said the orator, 'like birds of passage: we know not whence we come or whither we are going; if this man can tell us, for God's sake let him speak!' And I would say, if there are nine hundred millions of our fellow-creatures who, like the birds of passage, know not whence they came, or whither they are going, for God's sake, let us send them the Gospel, which will tell them whence they came, and which is able to make them wise unto salvation! Beloved brethren, does not the fact that so many millions of our fellow-creatures are still in the darkness and death of heathenism-the solemn fact that thousands of heathen have died and perished in this darkness since we have assembled within these walls, on this occasion, cry aloud with the trumpet-voice of anguish and distress? O ye saints of the Most High God! organise better, contribute more largely and generously; pray more earnestly than ever for your Missionary Society and for us! Shall the cry be made in vain? From the depths of your souls I believe you all utter the emphatic No! I cannot but believe that you will leave this Conference determined for the future to marshal all the forces within your power, that you may do your part to carry out the command of King Jesus, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." IN Chefoo, China. N the early part of the year, the Rev. T. Richard favoured us with the following interesting account of the labours in which he had been engaged, and of the progress of the Kingdom of God in that part of the vast field where our mission is carried on. His exertions will, we trust, be crowned with great success :— "During the year, I made five trips into the country, four of them were short ones in the neighbourhood of Chefoo. The fifth, however, in which I was accompanied by my friend Mr. Lilley, took me to a distance of 600 miles from home, and was intensely exciting, as I wrote to you before, sleeping like watch-dogs at night, and proceeding carefully during the day, for our route lay through a country overrun by highwaymen, and on the borders of that dark land where the transported con victs of China are settled. Of course there, as everywhere else among the Chinese, China on their maps is the only great continent in the world. We foreigners inhabit small islands, which dot the coast of China, and are wretched barbarians, ignorant as the beasts of the forest, and wicked as the devil himself. Although our stay was very short in each place, for we generally moved on every day, yet we were able to correct a few of their ideas." INCIDENTS. "One day, no sooner had I commenced to preach to a large crowd in an important city, than up came a high mandarin, with a number of soldiers. They drove the people away, and stood there to prevent their return. Thereupon I preached to them; for it was the same to me, and was enabled to do so with more freedom than usual. Having listened to me for fully two hours, the mandarin bought a copy of the Scriptures, walked away, leaving the people to return to me, and listen to their hearts' content. He seemed agreeably surprised to find the Gospel we preached not so bad as he had imagined it to be. "Another time, six armed mounted soldiers were sent along with us for a whole week, under the pretence of essorting us, but really to spy us. At first they did all they could to hinder as, by secretly threatening the people for listening to us, but they soon turned round, became our friends, and even volunteered to carry our Scriptures, and recommended their countrymen to buy them." THE NATIVE HELPERS. "The rest of my time, which I spent at home, was chiefly devoted to improving myself in the language. However, I took five of our native helpers through a short course of the Evidences of Christianity. "Ching made three trips, but spent most of his time at Chefoo. He read the Gospels, with a native called Lew who is preparing himself to help us in preaching. Lew has given up a more lucrative employment, choosing rather the scorn of his fellow-countrymen and the approbation of God. We thank God for such a proof of sincerity. "Tsung and Sun, our native preachers, went three times into the country, and were prevented from making a fourth journey by the early fall of snow this year. They know what it is to bear the Cross for Christ. Tsung's relatives would not speak to him for three years after he became a Christian. They were set upon by the people last summer, and beaten out of a village but they were not discouraged. They had counted the cost beforehand. “We have had six additions by baptism this year, four at Chefoo, one at Tsungkia, and one at Hankiau. At Tsungkia there are several who do not practice idolatry, and they join us in singing Christian hymns, many of which they have committed to memory." IT Decease of the Rev. John Jenkins, of T is with great regret that we announce the decease of our highlyesteemed missionary, the Rev. JOHN JENKINS, of Morlaix. Some months ago, he was seized with a very serious attack of illness, from which he never fully recovered. After many fluctuations, his bodily strength finally yielded, and he entered into his heavenly rest on the afternoon of Sunday, October 27th. Mr. Jenkins first entered on Missionary work in Brittany some thirtyseven years ago, under the auspices of the Churches in the Glamorganshire Association. The correspondence of language and race between the Welsh and the Breton people, had awakened an interest in Wales in the spiritual welfare of the inhabitants of Brittany, and led to an attempt to destroy their superstitions, and to make known among them the saving truths of the Gospel. In August, 1843, the managers of the Mission requested the Society to assume the charge of it. After a visit to the district by Dr. Angus and the Rev. W. Jones, of Cardiff, the Committee, at their meeting on the 7th December, accepted Mr. Jenkins as their missionary, and steps were immediately taken to obtain a site for the erection of a chapel in Morlaix. Mr. Jenkins was shortly joined by the Rev. John Jones, who, after a few years, left for Wales. Mr. Jenkins gave much attention to the preparation of tracts in the Breton tongue, and especially to a new version of the New Testament. Colporteurs were soon engaged; and, by the baptism of a few converts, the foundation was laid of a Christian Church. The chapel was com pleted in the year 1846, Mr. Jenkins collecting a large portion of the funds in Wales and in this country. The New Testament was completed in 1847, and three thousand copies printed at the cost of the British and Foreign Bible Society. A second edition, of four thousand copies, was printed in 1857. Assisted by colporteurs, by schools à domicile, and by much itinerating, Mr. Jenkins contrived to spread the Gospel in the district around Morlaix, and eventually built a chapel at Tremel. To these labours there were continually opposed the calumnies and enmity of the Romish priesthood. But, by his gentleness, sagacity, wisdom and piety, Mr. Jenkins overcame all obstacles. He won the esteem of all classes, and retained, to the last, the affection and confidence of the Committee and of all who were introduced into his intimacy. Six, out of nine, of his children, were able to be present at his deathbed. He passed away quietly, without a struggle. His end was in beautiful harmony with his life of faith. THE The Native Pastor in Jamaica. HE writer of the following note is the Rev. T. S. Johnson, a student of Calabar College, and lately settled over the churches connected with the station of Point Hill, in the vicinity of Spanish Town. It is interesting to see that our native brethren are so usefully and successfully occupied, and that their work enjoys the blessing of God. The letter is dated February 5th, 1872, and is addressed to the Secretary: "You will be glad to know that the work of the Lord is progressing hopefully in this sphere of labour, by the Divine blessing. are "I have in operation three day schools, with 249 scholars on the books. In the Sunday School Union formed by my schools, there seventy-four teachers and 786 scholars on the books at the close of the year. "During the dry season of the past year, week-day as well as Sabbath afternoons, were occupied in open-air preaching in the scattered settlements and villages. In this way a large number have been brought under the sound of the Gospel. "The attendance at the places of worship is very good. Many persons are frequently obliged to remain outside during Divine service, as our chapels cannot accommodate all those who attend. "I am also glad to state that a steady work of progress is going on in the Churches. "Please acknowledge the receipt of a bell for Point Hill, sent out in 1871 partly the gift of Mrs. H. J. Sturge, Birmingham. "We commenced the erection of our Mission House here, in 1871. The work is now progressing. "Allow me, on behalf of the cause here, to renew my application for some aid in this work." IN Native Pastors at Work. the district of San Fernando, in the island of Trinidad, there are five native churches, presided over by pastors of their own colour, and, with a very trifling exception, supporting their pastors and the means of grace from their own resources. These churches recently held a Union meeting in San Fernando, at which was given some account of the state of the churches and their progress in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. may be interesting to our readers to receive from their own lips the narrative of their condition, as forwarded to us by Mr. Wenman. “Mr. Webb, of the Fourth Company, said: 666 My dear brethren,-The smallpox has been very bad in our village; a great many of the people have been taken away by it, and I am sorry to say that I have lost eight members by the smallpox. The people had hardly recovered from this, when dysentery broke out among them, and I am sorry to say that a great many of my members are down with it. Yet I feel that I have much to thank the Lord for. There has been a great change for the better among my people during this last nine It months; they seem to have more life, and our chapel can hardly hold the people who come to listen to the Gospel. I have now sixteen candidates for baptism, and many more are inquiring the way to heaven. But there is one thing which grieves me, that is, not being able to get the people married in my chapel. The people tell me that they will not come to San Fernando, and I am afraid if they go to the Church of England to get married the next step that they take will be to take their children to be sprinkled.' THIRD COMPANY. but I am not fully satisfied that all these are fit; and I think we have fifty more who are inquiring for salvation. But what I feel most is, that when I am sick I have no one to preach for me; and last Sunday I could not preach, and, having no one to help me in the work, I had to get the people to have a prayer-meeting. My deacons are no use to me. The smallpox has broken out in our village, and many are laid down with it, so that I am employed day and night visiting the sick; but I am happy to say that my chapel is getting too small for the congregation.' |